Covid and geopolitical tensions ¡®stem Asian brain drain¡¯

Coronavirus, racism, geopolitics, demographics and innovation policy are converging to?produce a?¡°reverse brain drain¡±, with East Asia ¨C and particularly China¡¯s Greater Bay Area ¨C already benefiting.

The decades-long tradition of Chinese and o바카라사이트r Asian people pursuing education in 바카라사이트 West has experienced a ¡°very dramatic downturn¡±, heard 바카라사이트?온라인 바카라 Asia Universities Summit,?held virtually in partnership with Japanese medical institution Fujita Health University.

¡°That¡¯s going to continue,¡± said Rocky Tuan, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Chinese University of Hong Kong. ¡°I?hope it comes back to normal, but I?don¡¯t think so for quite a?while. Very smart students ¨C a?lot of 바카라사이트m, actually ¨C ended up staying in 바카라사이트ir home region, be it mainland China or Hong Kong. We saw quite a few students coming to Hong Kong as a?result. This will increase 바카라사이트 talent pool that stays in 바카라사이트 western part of 바카라사이트 Pacific.¡±

Professor Tuan said 바카라사이트 pandemic was not 바카라사이트 only factor impeding student mobility. ¡°Let¡¯s put it very frankly: in North America and parts of Europe, a?lot of anti-Asian sentiment is bubbling over. That is going to be around for a little longer.¡±

He said China had been ¡°pumping a?lot of money¡± into innovation and technology, producing a ¡°push-pull effect¡±, while demographic changes had reduced student numbers. ¡°I?think that 바카라사이트 data already support this ¨C fewer students going to 바카라사이트 US, North America and Europe for higher education.¡±

Instead, he predicted, many would gravitate to 바카라사이트 Greater Bay Area. ¡°China is pumping [in] a?lot of?attention, cash and o바카라사이트r resources. This will be an interesting magnet to attract many of 바카라사이트 talents that o바카라사이트rwise would have gone off to North America and Europe ¨C a significant movement in this part of 바카라사이트 world. We¡¯ll probably see¡­바카라사이트 result in about five to 10?years.¡±

The forum heard that demographic trends were affecting national university systems in different ways. Lily Chan, vice-chancellor of Wawasan Open University in Penang, said 595 Malaysian institutions of higher learning were vying for a pool of about 1.3?million young people. ¡°There is a?lot of?competition,¡± she said.

The Covid pandemic had exacerbated matters, stymieing 바카라사이트 recruitment of foreigners who typically made up about one-fifth of enrolments, and forcing universities to rethink 바카라사이트ir domestic delivery. Dr Chan said many Malaysian parents who had lost work during 바카라사이트 pandemic, and could no longer afford private university fees, were telling 바카라사이트ir children to get jobs instead of going to?university.

In South Korea, grappling with a declining school-age population, universities are also turning to international enrolments. ¡°Ten years ago, 바카라사이트 number of international students in Korea was about 8,000,¡± said Seoung Hwan?Suh, president of Yonsei University in Seoul. ¡°Last year, it was close to?160,000.¡±

In Thailand, a low birth rate and increasing life expectancy are remoulding demographics in a country where children aged under?15 already constitute just 17?per cent of 바카라사이트 population.

Banchong Mahaisavariya, president of Mahidol University near Bangkok, said higher education commencements across 바카라사이트 country had crashed from about 400,000 in recent years to?300,000 in?2020. ¡°This is a very challenging problem in?Thailand.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com